Stradivarius record

A Stradivarius violin almost 300 years old has smashed the record for the amount paid for a musical instrument at auction, selling for $3.5m (£1.8m).

The instrument, made in 1707, broke the previous record of $2.03m (£1.07m) paid for a Stradivarius in 2003.

From the BBC, which also has a link to a video of the violin being played. A friend of mine went down to New York for the auction (I believe he was seeking slightly smaller game, however), but I haven't heard his report yet.

Christie's press releases (pre- and post-sale, in .pdf) are here and here.

Posted by David on May 18, 2006 9:58 AM